so cold.

WHY SON I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED.

Fíli might seem like a minor character at first, especially next to Kíli. But once you take a closer look at our little prince you’ll see that there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye.

Let’s take a look into my blissful childhood. When I was 8 years old, I read The Hobbit for the first time and I hope no one will judge me for not being able to grasp the deeper meaning or hidden messages from that story back then. I was a mere child!

For a children’s book, The Hobbit has a lot of characters and at that time, I didn’t even remember most of the company. I remembered Thorin, obviously. And Fíli and Kíli. And Fíli became my favorite character, for reasons that are very different from the reasons why I love him today.

So why did I love him so much, back then already? Because he and Kíli were the youngest of the company and while we didn’t really get much background information about them, it was pretty clear that they were always cheerful and in a bright mood. They’re two innocent boys who haven’t seen much of the world and seem excited to go on an adventure. That’s what I liked about them. We have this company of middle-aged grumpy dwarves, who are all constantly complaining and then we have Fíli and Kíli, who are so cheerful that as a kid, you just had to like them.

Another thing I remember I found quite funny was the fact that Fíli got stuck in a barrell full of apples and after being stuck in it for a long time, he said that he would never be able to eat apples again.

This is actually one of Fílis few solo-moments in the book and back then, I thought it was very funny. To be honest, I still think it’s hilarious and I would’ve LOVED to see this in the movie. [sigh]

Another thing we know about Fíli and Kíli in the book is that they’re Thorin’s nephews and that makes them princes, basically. And 8 year old girls just like princes. I don’t even need to explain this.

Even as a child, I was shocked about their deaths. I might have been young but the death of a favorite character is something that hurts,  no matter how old you are. But it did make me happy, in a way, that they died defending their uncle. I thought it was beautiful that they must’ve loved him so much that they were willing to die for him.

And those were my thought when I read The Hobbit  for the first time. And then I read The Lord of the Rings and I watched the movies and basically I learned a lot more about Middle-Earth and its races. And I think to really understand just how great of a character Fíli is, it’s important to understand his background and the nature of dwarves.

After reading The Hobbit a second time, I suddenly understood everything a lot better and I realized just how much I actually loved Fíli. Because even though at first glance it might seem like we don’t know much about Fíli and Kíli, we can still deduce a lot about their characters.

Fíli is young and he has never seen battle or much of the world. The only life he has ever known is the one in the Blue Mountains, where he and Kíli most likely grew up and spent their childhood and youth. They lost their father, probably at a very young age and I can only assume that Thorin tried to take his place as good as he could. I have no doubt that he loves them like they were his own children, but he was probably very strict about their upbringing and education. He saw not just his nephews, he saw the princes and heirs that they were. With Thorin as his uncle and lector, Fíli grew up burdened with the knowledge and responsibility that he would one day be king. He was also trained to be an excellent warrior, and he did all of this while caring and looking after his younger brother. Not exactly my definition of a blissful and careless childhood.

Fíli has felt the pressure of being second-in-line since early childhood. It’s not his birth right, it’s his duty. Kíli, on the other hand, had a lot less to worry about, being only third-in-line. I guess he also has the „bonus“ of being the youngest.

But when Thorin asks, Fíli agrees to come with him. He agrees to leave behind the only home he’s ever known to go on a dangerous journey to reclaim a homeland and a kingdom that he has never seen, only heard of. The kingdom he would one day rule. He knows that this quest could cost him his life, but he goes anyway, because he’s so loyal to Thorin and the last thing he wants to do is disappoint him.

These are all things I deduced after my second reading, and this is where I would like to bring in movie!Fíli. 

So often, people say that Fíli and Kíli have no character in the movies. Especially Fíli, which is probably because Kíli is being favored in the movies and gets more screen time and lines and a freaking love interest.

But Fíli does have some character depth. If you take his background into consideration and add what we know about him from the book, you already have a great deal of character background and developement.

Movie!Fíli is amazing and a great character. It starts with his little speech in Bag End. You can see the prince he is and how devoted he is to the quest and to Thorin.

Okay, he has this one obvious line that makes me crack up every single time, but other than that, he appears responsible and calm and determined to master the challenge. 

There’s a scene a little later, when Fíli and Kíli are supposed to be looking after the ponies, but get distracted. (Seriously though, what on earth could be anywhere near that interesting that they don’t notice a TROLL STEALING THEIR PONIES?!)

Bilbo suggests to tell Thorin about the incident, but Fíli says „No, let’s not worry him.“

It’s one sentence. One line, but it holds some great meaning. Fíli doesn’t want Thorin to know that he failed. He doesn’t want to disappoint Thorin and he especially doesn’t want to get his brother in trouble. Fíli doesn’t seem like a coward, I have no doubt that he would have stood up for his mistake, had it not been for the fact that his brother was involved as well. The whole thing doesn’t end well anyway, but that’s not the point. The point is that Fíli would rather handle a disaster like this on his own (Or let Bilbo handle it, for that matter), than let Thorin know that he failed. It says a lot about him and his respect and love for his uncle.

When Thorin is wounded at the end of the first movie, Fíli is one of the three to give up their safe hiding place and run to his uncle’s rescue. He’s an excellent fighter, I daresay the best, along with Thorin and maybe Dwalin. He’s skilled, he knows how to use weapons and he has a lot of them.

Fíli risks his life for Thorin in this scene, as he does more than once. He’s so brave and courageous. He throws himself at every enemy to protect those he loves. As he calls out Thorin’s name after the eagles take them, you can see the concern and worry on his face. His love for Thorin knows no boundaries. Except for one. His brother.

I could write you a 100 page essay about Fíli and Kíli and their amazing relationship. There’s nothing in the world that Fíli loves as much as he loves Kíli. His brother IS his world and he would die and kill for him. They’re never seperated, not once, except by force, when they’re being taken into Thranduil’s dungeons. Fíli is always at his brother’s side and looks out for him and whenever Kíli says something, Fíli looks at him in approval. He’s proud of his baby brother.

It’s heartbreaking, in the first movie, when they’re being seperated by the stone giants. Fíli desperately calls out for Kíli to take his hand. He literally can’t stand the thought of leaving his side.

His brother is always his top priority and the first thing on his mind.

 Of course, the most relevant scene is the one in Lake Town. I can’t stress enough how much this shows just how very fucking much Fíli loves his brother. He travelled across the entire country and almost died several times to reach the mountain. And when their destination, Erebor, is within arms reach, Fíli abandones Thorin. Thorin, his father figure, his mentor, his king.

He chooses Kíli over Thorin. Over Erebor, the company, the kingdom he would one day be king of. He gives up the entire quest just to stay with his brother.

And he doesn’t hesitate one second. When it becomes clear that Thorin will not let Kíli come, there’s no question is his mind that he will stay behind as well. It doesn’t even cross his mind to leave his brother. Not once. He belongs with his brother. It’s the only person, the only place he will ever belong to. Because for Fíli, home is wherever his brother is. And that’s where he belongs and where he will stay.

Because Fíli might be a prince, he’s a heir, he’s a warrior. But before any of that, he’s a brother.

Fíli would’ve been an amazing king. A better one than Thorin, I daresay. Something tells me that Fíli would not have succumbed to the gold sickness, his heart is too good, too pure. He doesn’t care about gold. I mean, when they enter the treasury in Erebor, Fíli and Kíli don’t even bother with the gold. They go straight for their instruments instead. They take more pleasure in music than in gold. I CAN’T STRESS THIS ENOUGH.

Fíli is kind, he has a good heart and he does everything to protect his loved ones. He’s willing to make good use of his countless weapons if his people are in danger.

And in the end, he sacrifices himself for Thorin. His uncle’s life is worth more to him than his own. He dies, defending a kingdom that has never been and would never be his. Tragic hero.

He’s burdened with the pressure of being Thorin’s heir, but he handled this pressure very well and doesn’t let that weigh down his good spirit.

He’s brave and sometimes a little reckless. But everything he does, he does out of loyalty and love, never out of greed or wrath or the desire for revenge.

He is strong, but gentle. He is brave, but responsible. He is young, but wise.